Republicans couldn't deliver Wisconsin for Mitt Romney or put former GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson in the U.S. Senate in Tuesday's elections, but they still had a huge night by seizing the majority in the state Senate and retaking control of state government.

The GOP erased the narrow majority Democrats established in the Senate during the June recalls and easily held on to their advantage in the Assembly. With Republican Gov. Scott Walker in office for at least another two years, the GOP has carte blanche control of state government again.

The only question now is just how powerful the Republicans will be.

Unofficial election results showed the GOP with a 58-38 majority in the Assembly and three races too close to call. The party gained a 17-16 majority in the Senate with one race too close to call. None of the four trailing candidates have conceded, setting the stage for potential recounts.

The Assembly races' final outcomes won't change the big picture there. Republicans will still enjoy a huge advantage in the chamber.

The final math in the Senate, though, could make a difference in whether the GOP can advance more contentious proposals.

A two-person advantage would allow GOP leaders to bypass moderate Republican Dale Schultz of Richland Center. GOP leaders have been upset with Schultz since sided with Democrats last year against Walker's signature plan to strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights.

Later in the session, with Republicans holding a slim 17-16 edge over Democrats, Schultz single-handedly blocked a GOP plan to overhaul the state's mining regulations. Republicans touted the proposal as their signature job-creation package, but Schultz's opposition left them one vote shy of passing it out of the chamber and the measure died.

One of the three undecided Assembly races centers around Rep. Amy Sue Vruwink, D-Milladore. She holds a 168-vote lead over car dealership owner Nancy VanderMeer, R-Tomah, in north-central Wisconsin's 70th District.

VanderMeer's campaign said she is waiting to see the final vote tally, but Vruwink said she was confident she won.

"I wish her the best," Vruwink said Wednesday. "That's a lot of votes to pick up."

Rep. Scott Krug, R-Wisconsin Rapids, held a 114-vote lead over firefighter Justin Pluess in north-central Wisconsin's 72nd Assembly District. Pluess also has refused to concede, saying he wants to see the official count and may pursue a recount.

"We put a lot of hard work into it," Pluess said. "We want to make sure every vote is counted."

Krug shrugged off a recount, saying: "If that's the route he wants to go and add additional cost to the taxpayers that's his prerogative."

The last Assembly race still in doubt involves Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Eleva in northwestern Wisconsin's 93rd Assembly District. Petryk held a 500-vote lead over challenger Jeff Smith, D-Eau Clare, but Smith has yet to concede.

Smith didn't return a message inquiring about his plans. Joel Gratz, executive director of the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee, said he hasn't spoken with Smith but doubted he would pursue a recount.

"The race is not that close," Gratz said.

The only outstanding race in the Senate is between Republican Rick Gudex and Sen. Jessica King, D-Fond du Lac. Gudex, the Fond du Lac City Council president, holds a 590-vote lead and has declared victory, but King said Wednesday she wants to see the official results.

"It's pretty clear with the 590-vote margin that even if we do have to do a recount, it favors us pretty heavily," Republican Senate Committee leader Dan Romportl said.

Under state election laws, candidates are free to request a recount as long as they can articulate a reason in writing.

They have three days after the official counting ends to file the request. The deadline for completing the counts is Nov. 20, said Reid Magney, a spokesman for the Government Accountability Board, which oversees Wisconsin elections.

VanderMeer, Smith and King all would have to pay $5 per ward for the recount because the margin separating them from the leader is greater than half a percent. For VanderMeer that would come to $595; Smith would owe $505; and King would have to pay $810.

Pluess' recount wouldn't cost him anything because the margin between him and Krug is less than half a percent. County election officials would have to foot the bill.

Senate Democratic Leader Mark Miller issued a surprise announcement Wednesday that he planned to step down from his post in December. Miller, of Monona, ran unopposed in Tuesday's elections and offered no explanation for his decision to leave his leadership role.

Miller led Senate Democrats when they fled the state last year to protest Walker's union law. He also helped Democrats win the single seat they needed to win the Senate majority in the June recall elections stemming from anger over the union fight. Their majority was mostly symbolic, though, since lawmakers aren't scheduled to return for floor sessions until January.

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Recounts loom in handful of Wis. legislative races

Republicans couldn't deliver Wisconsin for Mitt Romney or put former GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson in the U.S. Senate in Tuesday's elections, but they still had a huge night by seizing the majority in the

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